The McCawley's Little Miracle
by Irish Rose1
Summary: He was going to have to deliver his own baby, the realization hit him. “Evelyn, I’ve never delivered a baby before.”
1. Default Chapter

For those of you who have not read my previous stories, I changed a few things from the movie. Danny and Evelyn never get involved, Evelyn does get pregnant but the baby is Rafe's and Danny does not die in China.

This story takes place at the end of World War II, before Rafe and Evelyn return to Tennessee.

___________________________

The doctor would later ask her how she knew but it was something that Evelyn couldn't explain. She was going to have a baby.

She'd miscarried their third child soon after finding out she was expecting again, when Sarah was only three months old. She had carried a lot of guilt over that because she'd felt that if she'd wanted the baby more, the miscarriage wouldn't have happened. As a result of that and the guilt that Rafe had also been feeling, they'd both agreed that they would wait until the war was over before they would attempt to have another.

Everyone had gathered at their house when Rafe and Danny had returned from a mission and they all knew about the bombing of Hiroshima Japan. They thought the end of the war had finally come, but the Japanese were not about to give up. It wouldn't be until a second bomb was dropped three days after the first that the Japanese would finally surrender and the war really _would_ be over.

But that first morning, it didn't matter. 

Evelyn laid in the quiet of the early dawn and reveled in the idea that her husband would not have to leave her or their children anymore and she smiled. She didn't know Rafe was awake until she heard his voice, still very heavy with sleep. "Hey Mrs. McCawley, what are you smilin' at?"

She turned her head to look at him and he had that insufferably cocky grin on his face. She knew what _he_ was smiling about. They had been so careful over the last year and a half whenever they had been together that it wasn't what it had usually been. So with an unspoken agreement that it wasn't necessary anymore, Rafe and Evelyn had thrown caution to the wind. 

It was a night neither one would ever forget because to them it signaled that their lives could now move forward into a safer world and God willing, they would be able to expand their family.

Even though they had been married for three years already, Evelyn still flushed. That fact was never lost on Rafe as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She snuggled against him and sighed. "It's finally over, isn't it?"

"It looks that way."

"Rafe?"

"What is it honey?"

"What are we going to do now?"

He laughed softly. "I know what I'd like to do."

She shook her head and tried not to laugh. "The way your mind works."

He loosened his hold so he could look at her. "I love you Evelyn and I've missed bein' able to show you, the way I really want to." He was serious now and the sincerity of what he was saying did not go unnoticed.

"I love _you_ and I've missed it too." Evelyn admitted.

That cocky grin was back. "Well then, since the kids are still asleep why not take advantage of it."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Why not?"

And they took advantage of it.

For lunch that afternoon, they also decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and take the kids to the beach. Danny loved going and if it weren't for Rafe and Evelyn telling him not to get too far ahead, he would have beaten them all there. 

Evelyn carried the picnic basket while Rafe carried the blanket and their daughter. She was a shy child and never strayed too far away from her parents. Danny had been the same way and Evelyn hoped Sarah would outgrow it as her brother had.

It was a breezy afternoon as they found a spot near the water and Rafe put Sarah down on her feet to help Evelyn lay the blanket on the sand. With that done, Sarah tugged on her father's hand and pulled him toward the water. He grinned at his wife, "Duty calls."

Evelyn sat down on the blanket and started to unpack lunch. She watched Rafe with their children and not for the first time counted her blessings that she was sharing her life with him. These were the times that made her the happiest because they were all together. 

She thought back to what she'd asked her husband earlier that day about what they would do now that the war looked to be at an end. Surely he would not have to fly any more missions and he could stay home. But where would home eventually be? 

Rafe had already expressed the desire to go back to Tennessee when the war was finally over. Evelyn had fallen in love with the place after they had traveled back when Danny was a baby and she would have no objections. The kids might not like it though because they had both been born in Hawaii and it was the only place they knew as home. It was something she and Rafe would really have to talk about when the time came to make a decision.

In the meantime, she had everything laid out and was about to call her family to come and eat when she saw Danny walking down the beach toward them. When he finally reached their spot, he looked like a man on a mission. "Hi Danny. We were just about to eat. Would you care to join us?"

"Thanks Evelyn, but I can't stay. I'm meetin' Sandra but I wanted to get your and Rafe's opinion about somethin'."

She was suddenly very curious. "You _never _ask my opinion, this must be pretty important." 

"It is." And Evelyn saw him flush, but he wouldn't say anything else until Rafe came back up from the water with Sarah on his arm and Danny running ahead of them. He ran straight into the arms of his godfather. "Daddy's home!"

"He sure is. That makes you real happy, don't it?"

Danny nodded before his godfather put him back on his feet. 

Sarah squirmed out of her father's arms and Rafe put her down on the blanket next to her mother. "Hey Danny, want somethin' to eat?"

"Evelyn already offered but I can't stay. I did want to ask you both somethin' though."

Rafe looked to his wife for an answer, but she only shrugged her shoulders. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask what you thought about this." And he pulled a ring box out of his jacket pocket. When he opened it, he showed Rafe and Evelyn a small diamond engagement ring. "You think she'll like it?"

Rafe grinned at his best friend. "You son of a gun! When did you decide to do this?"

"Before we went out on our last mission. Sandra and I have been talkin' about it, but we knew if we did it wouldn't be until the war was over."

"When did you get the ring?" Evelyn asked him as she settled the kids down to eat. 

"Before we left. I was downtown waitin' for Sandra because we were goin' to see a movie when she got off duty at the hospital. The jewelry store was on the way to the movie house, so I started lookin' and saw this."

"Danny it's beautiful, she'll love it." She told him as she stood up to hug him.

"That's if she says yes." 

"She'll say yes." Rafe stated it as fact.

"If she does, you'll be my best man." Danny told him.

"You'd be in a lot of trouble if I wasn't."

"You're right about that." He grinned. 

"Are you sure you won't have something to eat?" Evelyn asked him. "You shouldn't propose on an empty stomach."

"Thanks Evelyn, I 'preciate that. But I'm takin' her out to dinner tonight and right now I couldn't eat a thing."

"Weddin' nerves already and he ain't even proposed yet." Rafe clapped his friend on the shoulder. "She'll say yes, she'd be crazy not to."

"Well McCawley's, I've got to go. I do appreciate the offer of lunch and I'll talk to you tomorrow and let you know what she says." And he waved at the family before he jogged up the beach and headed back to the barracks.

Rafe sat down across from his wife and settled Sarah in his lap while Danny sat next to his mother and started to eat. "What do you think Mrs. McCawley?" He asked her.

"I think she'll say yes. They've been seeing each other all of this time and I think she's been _waiting_ a long time for him to get up the nerve to ask."

"Does she love him?" That seemed to concern him.

"Sandra has always been the type of girl to keep things to herself, so I honestly couldn't tell you for sure. But I have to believe that because she hasn't been seeing anyone else in all of this time, she must really love him."

"I want him to be happy Evelyn. If anyone deserves it, it's Danny." Rafe told her quietly as he helped his daughter to eat.

"You're such a good friend Rafe." She smiled at him.

"My folks and I are all he had for a long time and now he has a chance to have his own family. I hope she says yes." He sighed.

"He'll let us know Captain McCawley, so relax." 

Rafe looked at his wife and smiled. She was right of course because there was nothing they could do but wait, so in the meantime decided to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with his family. 

Danny would let them know soon enough.


	2. The Baby Boom Begins

_It's deja vu, all over again. - Yogi Berra_

It wasn't as though she weren't expecting this. 

Evelyn knew that when she and Rafe had been successful in her getting pregnant again she was probably going to have morning sickness. It had been her least favorite part of all of her pregnancies and it was not something she was looking forward to again.

She lay on the bed and tried to get her stomach to calm down. She had found out that very morning that her last child was coming and she wasn't sure if it was nerves or morning sickness that had her in her bathroom as soon as she got to the bedroom. She sighed and waited for Rafe to come home. 

She hadn't told him about the doctor's appointment. Even though she knew she was going to have a baby before the doctor confirmed it, she hadn't wanted to get Rafe's hopes up just in case she was wrong. So after the doctor gave her the news, she called him at the base and asked him to come home as soon as possible.

"Everythin' all right honey?" 

"Everything is fine Rafe, just come home."

"I'm on my way."

Evelyn was scared. The last time she was pregnant, she'd miscarried within a week and she didn't want to lose this one too. She had voiced her concerns to her doctor and knowing her history reassured her that he _would _monitor her very carefully. "I want to avoid putting you on total bed rest Mrs. McCawley, so we'll keep a close eye on you and see how the pregnancy progresses."

"Could I miscarry again?" She asked him quietly. 

Her doctor sighed. "Frankly Mrs. McCawley I don't know, but you do have two good things in your favor. You had two full term healthy pregnancies before the miscarriage and youroverall health is excellent. I still don't know exactly _why_ you miscarried the last time and I don't want to tell you that it won't happen again. What I _will_ tell you is that I will do everything I can to make sure that it doesn't."

Evelyn knew that that was the best he could give her, so she went home and called Rafe.

She sounded panicked and Rafe was worried. Had something happened to one of the kids, had something happened to _her_? Evelyn never asked him to come home in the middle of the day if it was something she could handle until he got home, which she usually did.

When he pulled the car into the drive, Barbara had both kids by the hand and Martha was behind her with their overnight bags. He jumped out of the car and ran up the walk, now he was scared. He crouched down in front of the kids to look them over and they looked fine. "Ev asked us to take the kids tonight. She wanted to have some time alone with you." Barbara explained.

Rafe looked up at her. "Is she all right?"

"She says she's fine but needs to talk to you."

Rafe kissed each of his children goodnight, told them to mind the girls and they both nodded. He grinned, _They probably don't understand. _And he kissed them again before he stood up. "Thanks Barbara."

She smiled. "I'd take advantage of this free babysitting service while you can."

"Have you gotten new assignments?" He asked.

"They Navy is sending us back to New York to the veterans hospital there. A lot of the boys are being shipped back for rehabilitation and they feel we'll be of more use there." Martha told him.

"Does Evelyn know?" Rafe frowned at the news.

Barbara shook her head. "Not yet. We haven't had the nerve to tell her."

"Do you want me to tell her?"

Martha also shook her head. "She needs to hear it from us." 

"All right." He stood and watched the girls load the kids into their car and he waved at them as Barbara pulled the car away from the curb. He sighed and turned toward the front door. 

__

It's too damn quiet when the kids are gone, Rafe thought to himself as he went looking for Evelyn. His first stop was the back porch because it was her favorite spot to be when the kids were taking a nap or after they'd put them to bed. It was her place to relax and have some quiet time. She wasn't there.

She wasn't in the kitchen or in the kids' rooms, so he made his way to their bedroom and found her curled up on the bed. He wasn't sure if she was asleep so he sat down and took her hand in his. "Evelyn, you awake?" He asked softly.

She opened her eyes. "I'm awake, just resting."

He brushed a lock of hair off of her forehead with his other hand. "Are you all right?"

__

How do I tell him? Evelyn thought before she took a deep breath. She looked at him and took another deep breath. 

"Evelyn you're startin' to scare me. What the hell is it?" 

"I didn't want to say anything until I was absolutely sure." She took one last deep breath and this time she smiled. "We did it Rafe. We're going to have a baby."

He wasn't sure that he'd heard her right. "Did you say what I think you just said?"

She laid a hand on his chest. "You heard me right."

He sat there staring at her because he was suddenly very scared and took the hand on his chest into his own. "Are you all right? Is the baby all right?"

She understood his concern and nodded. "We're both fine and the doctor said he'll monitor us both very carefully."

"We've been talkin' about this and tryin' for this since I came home for good and now that it's happened..." His voice trailed off. 

Evelyn sat up and put her arms around his waist before she put her head down on his shoulder. "I know you're scared about this Rafe, so am I. The doctor can't guarantee us it won't happen again, but he's going to do everything he can to try and prevent it."

"I wish there were somethin' I could do."

She smiled and then she flushed. "You already _did _do something Captain McCawley." She laughed softly. 

Rafe shook his head and grinned. "The way your mind works." 

Evelyn lifted her head to look at her husband. "That's what _I'm_ supposed to say."

"Not this time Mrs. McCawley." And he kissed her.


	3. She Said Yes

Rafe and Evelyn were the only ones who knew that Danny was going to propose to Sandra, but with the sudden news that they were going to be parents again it had slipped their minds.

He would have been happy to take her out to eat later that night, after she'd told him about the baby but Evelyn wanted to stay home and she went out to the kitchen to start a light supper for them. Rafe settled down at the dining room table to take care of some paperwork and he listened to the radio.

It was he who got up to answer a knock at the front door and Danny and Sandra stood there. He had a firm grip on her hand and she had a rare smile on her face. "Hey you two, come on in."

"We can't stay but a minute, we're goin' out to eat." Danny told him as they stepped inside.

"Why not stay _here_?" Evelyn asked as she came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishtowel.

"Thank you for the invitation Ev, but this is special." And she looked at Danny. 

"This is our engagement dinner." He explained with a grin.

"Well hell Danny." Rafe smiled and grabbed his best friend into a bear hug and slapped him on the back.

Evelyn hugged Sandra before she asked if she could see the ring. Sandra shyly put her hand out for them to see and Evelyn smiled, "It looks much better on your hand than in a ring box."

"I told her that but she wouldn't believe me." Danny joked before he put his arm around Sandra and kissed her cheek.

Sandra in turn flushed ten shades of red. "Danny." 

"My blushin' bride." He said and made her face turn another shade. 

Rafe looked at Evelyn and smiled. It was a rare thing for him to see his friend so happy, but he'd been accepted by the woman he loved and they were going to start a life together. He wondered if he and Evelyn should tell them about the baby, but decided against it. This was a special night for them.

Sandra, however, took that decision out of his hands when she asked Evelyn if everything was all right. Barbara had seen her at the hospital and had told the other girls. 

Evelyn looked at her husband and he shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of, _You might as well. _She looked back at the newly engaged couple. "This is your night, our news can wait."

The minute the words were out Evelyn could have kicked herself because that got Danny and Sandra really curious. "All right McCawley's, what ain't you tellin' us?"

Rafe put his arm around Evelyn's waist and smiled. "It seems like we're both in for some changes. We found out this mornin' that we're havin' another baby."

It was Danny and Sandra's turn to hug their friends and offer their congratulations. They knew how heartbroken they'd both been at the loss of their baby and the decision to wait. "That's great news Rafe." Danny smiled.

"Since we all have something to celebrate, why not come with us?" Sandra suggested.

"We most certainly will not." Evelyn said. "As happy as Rafe and I are about this new baby, it's not our first. You've never been engaged before and that is a very special time. You need to be alone."

"Rafe..." Danny appealed to him.

"I have to agree with my wife on this. If we had had a chance to have an engagement dinner, I wouldn't have invited _you_." He explained with a grin.

Evelyn looked up at him. "We barely had time to _be_ engaged before you left me to go on the Tokyo raid."

"That's what I get for proposin' to you on the way to the airfield." And he laughed.

"And that's what I get for accepting." She smiled.

Danny shook his head. "Leave it to you to wait to the last minute Rafe."

"I had more important things to take care of at the time." Rafe said. 

Evelyn gave him a stern look and tried not to blush. 

"I never had the chance to do it the way I'd planned." Another look from Evelyn. "I swear honey, I had planned on takin' you out to dinner the next night and doin' it proper. Remember the ring I gave you?"

To be honest, she'd never thought about it. "You did have the ring didn't you?" 

"If the Japs hadn't bombed us that mornin', I _would_ have taken you out to dinner that night."

She smiled at him. "Well then Rafe McCawley, you owe me an engagement dinner."

"Then come with us." Sandra urged them.

Evelyn was adamant. "You two are going to have your engagement dinner with each other and no one else." And that was the end of it.

__

She's stubborn, Rafe grinned. 

"Have you set a date yet?" Evelyn wanted to know.

"We were thinking about June, next year." Sandra told her. 

"That reminds me Rafe, would you be my best man?" Danny asked him.

"I'd be honored."

"And I'd like _you_ to be my matron of honor." Sandra told Evelyn. 

Evelyn was doing some mental arithmetic. "If this baby is on time, I should have had him or her by the time you get married. If that's the case, I'll be your matron of honor."

"Thanks Ev." And Sandra hugged her.

Danny took Sandra's hand and turned toward the door. "We better get goin' or we're goin' to be late." 

"Have a nice time." Evelyn told them. 

Danny opened the door and he and Sandra stepped outside. He turned around for a moment and looked at his friend. "Thanks for everythin' Rafe."

"What did I do?"

"You've been my best friend since we were kids. Hell, you've been a brother to me and all this time when I was takin' things so slow with Sandra you backed me up. The other boys gave me such a bad time about it and I knew they were kiddin', but you understood and didn't ask for answers that I wasn't ready to give." 

"You did the same for me remember? When Evelyn and I were first startin' to see each other, you didn't ask me a lot of questions. I was only returnin' the favor." 

Danny put his hand out to Rafe. "Thank you." 

Rafe slapped his hand away and hugged him instead. "That's what a brother's for Danny, never forget that."

"I won't." And they were gone. 

Rafe closed the door and turned around to face Evelyn with a grin. "So what's for supper?"

Evelyn swatted him with the dishtowel. "There's only one way to find out." She said and walked into the kitchen. 

His grin got bigger as he shook his head and started toward the kitchen. 

He really loved that woman.


	4. Danny Explains

Rafe had a few questions for his best friend.

He and Evelyn had been so happy for Danny and Sandra that they had not realized that Danny seemed to have held on to the ring for a few weeks before popping the question.

Evelyn had made that observation the night before as they ate dinner and discussed the engagement. "He either held on to it, or they kept it a secret."

"Honey, they don't have to tell us everythin'."

"Oh I know that. But after wanting us to see the ring and then not hearing anything from him, I just wonder why?"

He did too and he asked Danny to meet him at the Hula-La when he'd finished for the day. It had been awhile since they'd been there and he figured it was the one place they could talk without being interrupted. The bartender had set him up with a bourbon and soda and he waited at a table. He'd never developed a taste for the more exotic drinks that seemed to be all the rage with many of the pilots and he couldn't understand the attraction. 

When he'd called Evelyn from the base to tell her of his plans, she told him she'd go ahead and feed the kids and eat with him when he got home. "You don't need to do that."

"I know, so don't argue."

He grinned. "Yes ma'am."

Maybe it was because he was getting older or maybe it was that he had a family or both, but Rafe had never really cared for the Hula-La. It was a place where young, unattached pilots went to meet up with other pilots to swap stories or to cozy up to the women who frequented the place. He'd heard other pilots talk about it and he'd even come with Danny, Red and Gooz on occasion when he would much rather have been at home with his wife and his kids. He laughed to himself over that one. What ever happened to the cocky pilot that Evelyn had once accused him of being?

He hadn't heard Danny come into the bar or order himself a drink and it was only when Rafe looked up to see him grinning, that he pulled himself out of his reverie. "What are you grinnin' at?"

"You must be thinkin' about Evelyn because you always get this stupid look on your face." And he laughed.

Rafe answered with a laugh of his own. "Wait until you and Sandra are married for awhile, you'll get a stupid look on _your _face too."

Danny put his drink on the table and sat down across from Rafe. "All right Rafe I'm here. What's so important?"

"Evelyn and I would like to know if you've been keepin' this engagement a secret or did you just pop the question to her?"

He smiled. "So much for not pressin' me for answers."

"I know we've been keepin' to ourselves the last few weeks, but I didn't want you thinkin' we weren't interested in what was goin' on in your life."

"You and Evelyn have had more important things on your mind and I didn't know how to tell you I'd lost my nerve, at first."

"What happened?" Rafe looked at Danny with concern.

Danny sighed. "I had it all figured out. I was goin' to get into my best dress uniform, take her to the nicest restaurant in Oahu and pop the question over a glass of champagne."

"You got cold feet." He said matter of factly.

"Yea. I got into my uniform, had her ring in my pocket and I was headed for the door. Then suddenly I realized what I was about to do and wasn't sure if I was doin' the right thing." Danny sighed again.

"What did you do?"

"I broke our date." He answered and ran a hand through his hair.

Rafe was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "What ain't you tellin' me Danny?"

"You ain't goin' to like it."

"What ain't you tellin' me?" He repeated. 

"I did exactly what I shouldn't have done, I avoided her."

"Oh hell Danny, you didn't." 

"I did. Rafe, I was so embarrassed for bein' too scared to ask her what I'd been wantin' to ask for such a long time and I didn't know how to explain it to her."

"Well, you must have figured it out because you're engaged now."

Danny smiled. "I've got Sandra to thank for that. After a month of my avoidin' her and not takin' her telephone calls she came and found me at the base. She told me she'd had enough of my behavin' like an ass and wanted to know why."

It was hard for Rafe to imagine Sandra calling Danny an ass and tried not to laugh. "She had you pegged didn't she?"

"She did. So instead of my takin' her out to the nicest restaurant in Oahu I went back to the barracks, got her ring and proposed over a cup of coffee at the Black Cat."

This time Rafe did laugh. "Very romantic Danny."

"That's why I took her out to dinner last night, to make up for my lousy proposal." He grinned.

"We're just so damn happy for you both." 

"Thanks Rafe. Now that you know all about my love life, how are _you _doin'?"

He knew what Danny was asking. "A little scared. There's no guarantee that she won't lose this one and I worry what that might do to her if she does." 

"What about you? Don't you think Evelyn worries how it would affect _you_?"

"This is different though Danny. Evelyn already lost a baby once, I just don't want to see that happen to her again." Rafe ran a hand through his own hair in worry.

"You can't think that way Rafe. I'd like to believe it's goin' to be smooth sailin' from here on in. The damn war is finally over, you and Evelyn are goin' to have another baby and Sandra wants to marry me. It can't get much better than that." And he reached across the table to clap his friend on the shoulder.

Rafe smiled. "When you put it that way, how can I argue?"

"You can't. So let's finish these drinks and get out of here." Danny answered.

When Rafe walked into the house twenty minutes later, Evelyn met him at the front door with a kiss and a question. "Well, what did he say?"

"I'll tell you while we eat, I'm starvin'." He told her as he put his arm around her and steered her toward the kitchen to share a late supper with his wife. 


	5. A Fork In The Road

Rafe knew he had to make a decision.

His enlistment was almost up and he was having second thoughts about going back to Tennessee. He had told Red the day that they had all made it home from their last mission he was going back, but now he wasn't so sure. He was still doing routine flight training as he had done at Mitchell but it wasn't in preparation for anything. As Doolittle had admonished him once after a game of chicken with Danny, he wasn't "honing his skills."

But he loved the Air Corps and being an officer and there was the rub.

If he re-enlisted, there was no guarantee that he would get to stay in Hawaii for the rest of his career and he didn't know that he wanted to subject his family to the rigors of moving from base to base. Evelyn had told him more than once that he couldn't let the fact that he was a husband and a father color the way he did his job. And he couldn't let those two facts influence what it was that he really wanted to do. Flying was as much a part of him as Evelyn and the kids were and somehow those three very important things had to work. But how? 

So with his wartime service over and his commitment to the Air Corps coming to an end, Rafe McCawley suddenly had no idea which way to go.

His base commander had pulled him into his office wanting to know what his plans were. "General Doolittle always thought quite highly of you and told me what an exceptional pilot you were. He told me about your service with the Eagle Squadron and that I was very fortunate to have you under my command. Frankly Captain McCawley, the last thing I wanted at the time was another cocky pilot because I already had too damn many. But you proved my doubts to be unfounded and your service to this squadron and this base has been exemplary."

Rafe was standing at attention, his cap tucked under his arm and trying to figure out why his commander was telling him this.

"McCawley, rumor has it you're headed home once your enlistment is up." He commented as he looked up from a file folder lying open on his desk, Rafe's service record.

"That was my plan sir."

"That would be a real shame."

"Sir?"

"Captain, we've been through hell and back these last few years and the one thing the Air Corps can't afford to lose is our veteran combat pilots. You are the boys we need to keep flying and teach the new pilots coming in what combat is all about."

"Sir, are you askin' me to be a flight instructor?" 

"You make that sound like a bad thing Captain."

__

How could he explain it? "I don't know if General Doolittle told you, sir, but he asked me to be a flight instructor a few years ago."

"I know about that. He told me you'd accepted the position and then changed your mind so you could stay here." 

Rafe sighed. "Yes sir. My wife was goin' to have a baby and I felt at the time the best place for us was out of harms way. I felt that goin' back to New Jersey was best for my family."

"What changed your mind?"

"My wife. As much as she didn't want me flyin' combat anymore, she knew my goin' back wasn't the right thing to do. She wanted to see out the war here, where we had friends."

"If you don't mind my asking Captain, what's waiting for you when you get home?"

Rafe wasn't sure what he was asking. "My folks are there. It's where I grew up."

His commander sat quietly and listened. "I understand you have two children."

"Yes sir."

"And they're growing up here."

He suddenly understood where his commander was going. "They were both born here."

"This is a pretty special place for kids to grow up, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't argue with that, sir."

"So what's keeping you from _staying_ here?"

Rafe sighed again. "I don't want to have my family movin' all of the time. It's a fact of military life bein' transferred from post to post. At least in Tennessee, they'll get to stay in one place."

"That's a very good point Captain." He said and then continued. "So should I start processing your separation papers?"

"I'd like to talk to my wife about this before you do that, sir. She has a say in what happens as much as I do and I can't make a decision like this without talkin' to her first."

"Take your time Captain, but not too much time."

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed." And Rafe saluted before he turned around and left the commanders office.

He was walking to his car when he heard Danny call him. "Rafe!"

He stopped and waited for his friend to catch up with him and when he did, he was frowning. "I heard you got pulled into the commander's office, everythin' all right?"

"Everythin' is fine Danny. He just wanted to know what my plans were since my enlistment is almost up."

"You still plannin' on goin' back to Tennessee?"

"I'm gettin' real tired of bein' asked that." Rafe glared at him. " Hell Danny, I don't know. It wasn't anythin' I ever really thought about. It was what I was goin' to do when my enlistment was up and then the Japs bombed us and everythin' changed."

"Would you stay if I told you I was re-enlistin'?" Danny asked.

Rafe looked at him in surprise. "You ain't comin' home?"

"Sandra and I have talked it over and we want to make our life here after we get married. The fact is Rafe, I really like it here and other than you and your folks, there's nothin' for me back there." 

That knocked him for a loop. Rafe had just assumed that Danny and Sandra would go back to Tennessee with him and Evelyn and knowing that he wanted to stay in Hawaii left him speechless.

"I'm sorry for springin' it on you like that. It wasn't what I'd planned on doin' when the war was over, but I didn't think I'd be gettin' married either. Rafe, we had it pretty soft here under the circumstances and now I want to stay and start a new life here with Sandra."

"You don't need to explain anythin' to me. I do understand why you want to stay and part of me does too. But a bigger part of me wants to go home and forget there was ever a war. Stayin' here would be a reminder of where the whole damn thing started." 

"That's true and nothin' will ever change that but a lot of good things happened to you here too. You married Evelyn, you've had two kids and another one is on the way and you made it through alive. You're a lucky man Rafe."

"I know that Danny, but I still need to talk to Evelyn about this." 

They'd walked to Rafe's car and stood facing each other as each was contemplating their own futures. "It'll work out Rafe, one way or another."

"I just wish I knew which was the right way." He sighed as he got into the car and started up the engine. "Are you sure you want to stay?"

"I'm sure. Are you sure you want to go back?"

"Not in the least. That's why I need to talk to Evelyn."

"It'll work out." Danny said again as Rafe said goodbye and drove away. He watched his friend drive through the front gate and sighed to himself as he turned and walked back to the barracks.


	6. Time To Go

They all gathered at Rafe and Evelyn's for one last time.

The girls had finally told Evelyn about their transfer back to New York and Sandra had told all of them of her plan not to stay in the Navy when her enlistment was up. She and Danny had set the date for their wedding and wanted everyone to come back the following June.

Danny and Red had informed their friends of their intention to re-enlist and stay not only in the Air Corps but in Hawaii as well. Unlike Barbara and Martha, whose nursing skills were needed elsewhere, Danny and Red were needed in Hawaii for training. As for Gooz, he had decided not to re-enlist. His time in the Air Corps had been bittersweet. He'd had a chance like his fellow pilots to fly combat, but he'd lost some good friends along the way and now he just wanted to go home. He'd already told them his girl was waiting for him and he wanted to marry her. Rafe had not yet decided what it was that he wanted and he'd not been able to discuss it at any length with Evelyn as of yet.

After dinner that night the friends all sat on the back porch and after Rafe and Evelyn had put the kids to bed, joined them. It wasn't the usual raucous evening they had all enjoyed over the last few years. This was the place they had all come to escape the realities of war for awhile and therefore it had rarely been discussed. The boys being flyers and the girls being nurses, they all knew the cost of the fight they were in. 

This evening was a quiet one because they all knew it might be a long time before they would see each other again. They'd been through so much together and most of the pilots had come to Hawaii at the same time as the nurses. They'd seen Danny and Evelyn brokenhearted over Rafe being shot down over the English Channel and his miraculous return from the dead. They'd seen Anthony, Billy and Betty die but they'd also seen Rafe, Danny, Red and Gooz return safely from the raid over Japan and then witness Rafe and Evelyn get married and have two kids. They had been based away from the fighting, but their missions had taken them directly into the fray.

It was late in the evening before everyone decided it was time to part and they all made their way to the front porch and down the front steps. They stood huddled together, not talking much and the girls were trying not to cry. This made it all the more difficult for the pilots because they were having a hard time as well. 

It was Gooz who finally got everyone moving. "I've got a transport to catch in the morning, so it's time for me to go."

Red put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll walk back with you Gooz. It's been a long day for all of us I think."

"If you hold on, I'll walk back with you." Danny told them and turned to Sandra. "I'll call you in the mornin'." And he kissed her. 

The friends looked at each other and smiled. This was the first time since Danny and Sandra had spilled the beans about their relationship and subsequent engagement that they had shown any display of affection.

While Gooz wasn't one for public displays, he did wish the nurses luck back in New York. Red on the other hand hugged Barbara and Martha. "I wish you girls could have stayed here."

"We do too Red." Martha admitted. "But the Navy had other ideas."

"There's nothing stopping _you_ from coming back for a visit now and then, though." Barbara told him.

Red grinned. "Just come back when you can because it sure won't be the same here without you."

Barbara frowned at him with concern. "Are you going to be all right Red?"

"This is the first time since Betty died that we won't all be together. All of you were the biggest reasons for my not drowning in self-pity."

"That's because we wouldn't let you." Martha quipped.

"That's true and I'll always be so grateful to you for that." He admitted.

"Well, before I start bawling like a baby Martha and I need to leave too. We're on the same transport as Gooz and we're not done packing yet." Barbara told the group. "Come on Martha, I'll drive."

"Fine by me." And they made their way to the front walk with the rest of the group. They were having such a hard time parting but they also knew it was time. The war was finally over and it was time for everyone to go.

The girls hugged each other like they would never let go and again trying desperately not to cry. Rafe, Danny and Red were shaking Gooz' hand and giving him good luck pats on the shoulder. "When you decide to get hitched, let us know so we can crash the weddin'." Rafe joked as he stood with his arm around Evelyn.

Gooz grinned at him. "Now why in the hell would I tell you that?" And he laughed as he shook Rafe's hand one more time before he, Danny and Red started up the road back to the barracks. 

Martha and Sandra had gotten in the car to wait for Barbara. Martha had had enough of goodbyes and wanted to get back to her room and have a good cry out of earshot of her friends.

"Well sweetie, looks like this is it." Barbara said as she hugged Evelyn. 

"I'm going to miss you Barbara and I'm going to miss being able to talk to you every day." Evelyn said as she felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes.

Barbara raised an eyebrow at that. "Evelyn McCawley, there's this wonderful invention called the telephone. Use it." And she laughed as her own eyes filled with tears and then looked at Rafe before she hugged him. "Take care of her, will you? And when you get ready to have that kid, call me. I'll be here on the next transport."

"I'll do that. You were here for her when she had Danny and I couldn't be. Evelyn and I wouldn't want you anyplace else when this one comes." Rafe smiled as Barbara hugged Evelyn again. 

She walked around to the driver's side of the car and opened the door but before she got in she took a last look at the house. "We had a lot of good times here didn't we?"

Evelyn smiled at her and the tears started to roll down her cheeks unchecked. "We did."

Barbara gave them one last wave as she got into the car and started the engine. As she pulled away from the curb, Martha stuck her head out the window and waved at them until the car disappeared. 

With everyone gone, Evelyn started to cry. She put her arms around Rafe and he pulled her against him and felt her shake with the sobs. He understood how she felt because he felt the same so he sighed and held her as she cried. 

After a few minutes, he felt her shaking subside and he leaned away to look at her. "All you all right honey?"

She looked up at him with her tear filled eyes and she managed a shaky sigh. "Is that going to be us?"

"I don't know Evelyn. We haven't really had a chance to talk about this, have we?"

She sighed again. "I thought it was all set, that we would go back to Tennessee."

"If it's all right with you, I'd just as soon talk about this tomorrow. I'm not really in the mood to talk about it right now." Rafe told her.

Evelyn nodded before she kissed him. "I love you Rafe and whatever you decide is all right with me."

He kissed her back and smiled. "You're not gettin' out of it that easy. Whatever happens will be because we made a decision together." And he kissed her again. "I love you too Evelyn, with all my heart." And with an arm around her waist, Rafe walked Evelyn back into the house.

He knew he had put off a decision that needed to be made, but he and Evelyn had always made decisions together. And where he was going to end up was something they would both have to decide.


	7. Rafe Makes A Choice

The time had come for Rafe to make a decision about what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. 

He had asked Danny and Sandra to come stay with the kids so he could take Evelyn out to dinner and talk to her without being interrupted by their son and daughter for one thing or another. Their date was two fold because he needed to talk to her about their future and he owed her an engagement dinner. Evelyn had not mentioned it again after she teased him about it, but it was something that had been in the back of his mind for the last month. Besides, she needed a distraction because she missed Barbara so much. 

The two girls had already been burning up the telephone wires with their nightly calls telling each other what was going on and Evelyn having to give her friend regular updates on how she was feeling and how the baby was doing. Barbara had called her that first night from New York and as fate would have it, she and Martha had been posted to the same hospital where they had all been in 1941. She couldn't resist in teasing Evelyn about it and how she'd sat on the same bench as her two friends had when Rafe had popped himself in the nose with the cork from the champagne bottle. What a thing for her to remember.

Rafe had asked Evelyn to wear her very best dress for the occasion, which got him a look from her. "What did I say?"

"Rafe McCawley, I don't _fit_ into my very best dress anymore in case you hadn't noticed." She was indignant.

To be perfectly honest, he hadn't. What he _did_ see was that his wife had a glow about her and that she was more beautiful than usual. She had started to blossom and every visit to the doctor was good news. What made them the happiest though, was when her doctor told them he felt the risk had passed. Evelyn had just moved into her second trimester and that was well past her last pregnancy. The doctor, however, stressed the continued need for caution. "I'm very pleased at your progress Mrs. McCawley and I don't say this to panic you in any way, I just want to continue to play it safe."

Rafe had come with her to this checkup and sat next to her in the doctor's office holding her hand. "Can she still miscarry?" He wanted to know.

"I never like to rule anything out Captain McCawley and the chance of your wife losing this child is unlikely now. But with any of my mothers who have had miscarriages, I always like to ere on the side of caution." 

Rafe and Evelyn looked at each other, their joy at the good news tempered by the sobering words from her doctor.

When Danny and Sandra got to the house that evening, Rafe was in his dress uniform pacing nervously. He and Evelyn had been married nearly three and a half years, but he felt as though this was their first date and he was anxious to see her. 

"I'll check on her Rafe." Sandra told him and headed down the hall.

Evelyn was looking at herself in the full-length mirror and not quite liking what it was she saw. She turned toward the bedroom door when she heard a soft knock and when it opened, Sandra was standing in the doorway. 

"Ev, Rafe is waiting for you."

She nodded. "I know. I just wish I looked better."

Sandra frowned. "What are you talking about? You look lovely."

Evelyn smiled at her. "Thanks. Barbara helped me pick this out before she left. She wanted me to have something to wear if my husband ever took me out to dinner."

"So then what's the problem?"

She frowned. "It's beautiful, but it's a _maternity_ dress." 

"Ev, you hardly show at all."

That got Evelyn to smile. "Don't mind me Sandra. I'm just feeling sorry for myself today."

Sandra gave her a quick hug. "I know how much you miss Barbara. You two were the closest of all of us and I know how much you confided in her." 

"We roomed together in nursing school and helped each other earn our nurses' cap." Evelyn remembered.

"Are she and Martha going to be able to come back for Thanksgiving?"

"She doesn't know yet. Rafe said Red is trying to talk Gooz into coming back so we can all spend the holiday together."

"I'd really like it if they could." Sandra told her before she touched her arm. "Are you ready now? You have a very nervous pilot waiting out in the living room for you."

That got Evelyn to flush. "Rafe doesn't get nervous."

"You haven't seen him Ev. He's nervous." She smiled as she walked to the open doorway and waited for Evelyn.

"Rafe, you're goin' to wear a hole in the floor if you don't stop pacin'." Danny observed and tried not to laugh.

"This is my life we're talkin' about Danny."

Danny looked at him in confusion. "You're takin' your wife out to dinner. A little overdressed maybe, but it's just dinner."

"It's not about dinner, it's about our future. Evelyn's and mine and the kids."

"Have you decided anythin'?"

"No. I'm under the gun now and I still have no idea what I'm goin' to do."

"Are you ready to go Rafe?" He heard Evelyn and turned toward the hallway where she stood with Sandra behind her.

__

How did he get so lucky? "You look very lovely this evening Mrs. McCawley."

"You look very dashing yourself Captain McCawley." She smiled at his formality.

"I was just waitin' for you." He smiled back.

"Those reservations won't wait, so let's go." And she headed to the front door. Rafe looked at Danny and shook his head. 

She didn't know how he'd managed it, but her husband and Air Corps pilot had gotten them dinner reservations at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. It was only the most expensive place to eat on Oahu, but Rafe had told her he wanted to do it right because she was worth it. What could she say to that?

They were shown to a secluded table and after Rafe had ordered himself a bourbon and soda, he wanted to get the serious part of the evening out of the way. 

Evelyn had declined anything to drink and waited because she knew he had something on his mind. 

"Honey, you know my enlistment is coming up soon." He started.

She nodded. "And I thought the plan was to go back to Tennessee."

"Evelyn, my commander wants me to stay here as a flight instructor." He blurted out.

She looked at him. "So this is what's been on your mind. What do you want to do?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "To tell you the truth, I don't know."

She laid her hand on his and looked him in the eye. "Rafe, it seems to me that if you really wanted to be a flight instructor you would have taken the job without a second thought."

"I'd still be flyin'."

"But it wouldn't be the same would it?" She sighed. "Remember when you were going to take the instructor's job in New York and then changed your mind?"

"That was because you wanted to stay."

"So did you, otherwise we would have gone to New York anyway." Evelyn reasoned.

"Are you sayin' we should go back?"

"I'm saying that as much as I know how much you love the Air Corps and living here, maybe you're ready to go home and put it behind you."

"What about the kids?" He frowned.

"They're young and they'll adjust. Rafe, as long as we're together that's the most important thing."

"I know how much you love it here."

"But I love you more and I want you to do something for yourself this once. You _always_ put us first and that is such a noble thing, so I'm asking you to put _yourself_ first in this and if it's what you want we'll stay."

He sat across from her and took the hand that lay on his and was quiet for a moment. He sighed and looked into her eyes. "I don't want to make a decision that we'll regret."

"Honey, you can _always_ re-enlist later if it's what you want, but for right now what do you want to do?"

He looked at the hand he held and lifted it for a kiss before he sighed again. "I think it's time to go home."

She smiled at him. "Then we go home."

"I love you Evelyn."

"I love you too Rafe." She answered as the waiter approached their table to take their order for dinner. 


	8. Better Late Than Never

Evelyn couldn't remember when she'd spent a more romantic evening with her husband. 

It had been quite awhile since they'd been able to dress up and sit at a table without having to help their children get more of their dinner in their mouths than on their faces. They were growing so fast it seemed to Evelyn and as tired as she would get sometimes, even with Rafe helping her, she cherished the time that she had with her children. And with their last child on the way, she cherished that time even more.

She sat across from Rafe and would have been content with looking at him for the rest of the evening. She'd always thought he was handsome, but there was something about him in his dress uniform that made him even more handsome and she thanked her lucky stars that he was hers.

Rafe didn't miss the fact that his wife was looking at him, because he was doing the same with her. This evening with her reminded him so much of their coffee dates that they had had when they were in New York. They were just getting to know each other then and from that very first meeting, Rafe knew that Evelyn was not going to be a passing fancy. 

They had finished with their dinner. There were two glasses of champagne in front of them and a chilled bottle in a bucket next to the table, but neither of them seemed to notice because this evening was for them and there was no talk about children or any more talk about the Air Corps. They held hands across the table as they reminisced about their time in New York and laughed with the memories. 

They also remembered when Rafe had shown up in Hawaii after Evelyn thought him dead and she flushed at the memory of their reunion. He had to resist the urge to grin, that cocky grin that always made her flush even more. So instead he asked her for her engagement ring. 

Evelyn looked at him. "My engagement ring? Why?"

"If I'm goin' to propose to you Evelyn, I want to do it right." Rafe told her.

She was perplexed for a moment before she realized what he was talking about and she laughed softly. "Rafe, is this about my teasing you about an engagement dinner?"

"Remember when I asked you to marry me?" He asked her.

She nodded. "As I recall, I said yes." 

Rafe shook his head and smiled. "Do you also remember that I told you it wasn't the way I'd planned on askin'?"

"Of course I remember. But it didn't matter to me _how_ you asked Rafe, just that you asked."

"_This_ is what I had in mind, bringin' you to a fancy hotel. I would have had two glasses of champagne in front of us like we do now and I would have gotten down on my knee. I would have taken your hand and looked into those beautiful eyes of yours and asked you to be my wife."

__

Underneath that cocky exterior beats the heart of a very romantic man. Evelyn thought and she felt her face flush even more. "I love you too Rafe." And to her surprise, he flushed. 

It took some doing because her hands had started to swell, but Evelyn got her engagement ring off and handed it to her husband. "Don't lose it." She teased.

"I won't lose it Evelyn." He said as he took her ring. He stood up and stepped over to her chair. He got down on his knee and took her hand, just as he'd wanted to do that December seventh evening but never got the chance. "Evelyn Johnson, would you do me the honor of becomin' my wife?" He asked her quietly.

She wasn't used to being called Johnson and she felt the tears start to gather. "Are you sure?" It's what she'd asked him at the time and couldn't help but ask again.

"All I want is to spend the rest of my life with you." He answered her.

It was silly to cry she knew, because they were already married. But it was the idea that this was the way her husband had wanted to propose marriage to her and she loved him even more because of it. "Lieutenant McCawley, I would love to be your wife." And she leaned over to kiss him before he put her engagement ring back on her finger.

Neither had realized that they had attracted the attention of diners around them until they heard quiet applause and a few "Congratulations" from some.

Rafe looked up as his wife and smiled. "I guess that makes it official." He stood up and kissed her before he sat down again. They picked up their glasses and took a sip from them all the while smiling at each other.

The orchestra had started to play and the romantic tune got Rafe out of his chair and he held his hand out to Evelyn. "Would you like to dance Miss Johnson?" He grinned.

She stood up and took his hand. "I'd love to Lieutenant McCawley." She smiled as Rafe laughed and pulled her toward the dance floor. 

He put his arms around her waist and she put her arms around his neck as they moved around the floor, never taking their eyes off each other. This was what he'd dreamed about when he was in England when he'd bought her ring and he'd carried it with him through all of his missions with the Eagle Squadron. He had considered it his good luck charm because even though he'd been shot down, he'd survived.

God, he wanted to kiss her. He had a beautiful woman in his arms who just happened to be his wife and she was having his child. A smile from Evelyn made his heart stop for a moment and he leaned over to kiss her. Her arms tightened around his neck as she kissed him back.

Her thoughts had been running along much the same line as his and when he'd looked at her she knew he wanted to kiss her, so she smiled at him to let him know she wanted it too.

He released her only enough to pull her to him and hold her close as the music continued. When it finally ended he said quietly, "Let's go home."

She knew what he had in mind and for some reason couldn't look at him, so she just nodded. He tipped her chin up so he could look at her and he was smiling. "I love you Evelyn." And he took her hand as they went back to their table to wait for the check.

They'd had to be careful. Evelyn's doctor had not told them they couldn't make love, but they were both aware that the possibility of a miscarriage was there, no matter how remote. 

Nevertheless this is how it would have ended up that night, of that Evelyn had no doubt. 

Rafe had gotten up to check on the children because Danny had been dealing with a monster under his bed and he wanted his daddy to make it go away. He stopped by Sarah's room and she slept soundly as he watched her. He was so thankful that she looked like her mother.

When he got back to the bedroom Evelyn was curled up on his side of the bed. Her eyes were closed but she had a smile on her face. He sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed a lock of hair off of her forehead. "I love it when you do that." She said without opening her eyes.

"Why do you think I do it?"

She opened her eyes then and she put a hand on his chest, which he promptly took in his own and kissed it. "Thank you Rafe."

"For what honey?"

"For giving me such a romantic evening and loving me so much."

"You make it easy Evelyn." And he leaned over to kiss her. "You've made me a very happy man over these last four years."

"You make it easy too Rafe." She pulled back the blankets to offer him back his side of the bed and she moved over as he got in and put his arms around her. She snuggled next to him and after Rafe kissed her goodnight, they both closed their eyes and fell asleep.


	9. Just Call Me Mister

Once the decision had been made, Rafe felt a big weight lifted from his mind. 

As much as he would have liked to have remained in the Air Corps, he really was more than ready to go home and be _Mr. _Rafe McCawley. 

He informed his commander of his decision the Monday morning after he'd taken Evelyn out to dinner. He stood at attention, cap tucked under his arm and really wanting to get the hell out of there. No such luck.

His commander sat at his desk and looked more than a little disappointed. "Are you sure about this Captain? We really could use your combat experience to train these new pilots coming in."

"I know that sir and I appreciate the opportunity. But I talked it over with my wife and at this point with our baby comin', I don't know that I want another one of my children growin' up on an Army base."

"This is probably the best assignment you could ever get."

"I won't argue with that sir, but my original reason for not re-enlistin' is the same. There is no guarantee that I'll get to stay here permanently and I want my children to grow up in one place and my wife to have a home of her own."

"Those are very good reasons Captain."

"Thank you sir."

Rafe could see his service record on the commander's desk, as he looked it over. "Your tour of duty is up at the end of May so if everything goes smoothly, your separation papers should be ready by the end of June." He sighed and took off his spectacles. "Are you sure you won't reconsider your decision?"

Rafe shook his head. "The Air Corps has been very good to me sir. But I have more responsibility now than I did when I joined up and my family has to come first."

"Your wife concurs with this?"

"She left it up to me and goin' home was my decision." Rafe told him.

"Very well then." And he stood up. "I hate to lose you Captain but I do understand. Good luck to you." And he put his hand out to Rafe who took it and shook. 

"Thank you for givin' me the time to make a decision sir." And he stepped back and saluted his superior officer.

He answered the salute. "Dismissed Captain." 

Rafe turned and left the office.

Danny was waiting for him in the outer office and as Rafe came out, stood up. "How'd it go?"

Rafe sighed. "He asked me to reconsider and I had to tell him my decision was final."

Danny looked troubled. "I don't want to beat a dead horse Rafe, but are you _sure_ you want to go home?" 

"And I get tired of repeatin' myself. It's time for me to take my family home." He sighed.

Danny shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of defeat. "All right Rafe. If that's your final word, I won't mention it again."

"Thank you." He glanced over at his friend. "How 'bout you? Are you sure about _stayin_?"

"Yea. We like it here and if I get transferred, I get transferred. I might feel different after we start havin' a family, but for now it wouldn't bother me _or_ Sandra for that matter."

By the time they had gotten outside Rafe's stomach was in a knot. "All I knew for two years was the Air Corps. It's what I'd always dreamed of doin' and it was all I ever wanted."

Danny grinned at him. "But Evelyn changed all that didn't she?"

"After I met her, there was somethin' in my life that I wanted more than flyin'." He grabbed Danny's arm to stop him, willing him to understand what he was trying to say. "Don't you understand Danny? I love Evelyn with all my heart and I put her through Hell these last few years. The Eagle Squadron and gettin' shot down, then gettin' into a war of our own. I left her with two kids and the fear I might not come back and as long as I'm in the Air Corps, she'll always have to live with that."

"I think Evelyn's a stronger girl than you think."

"Hell Danny, I know she's strong. If she weren't we wouldn't have made it through all this and had another baby comin'."

It seemed to dawn on Danny what his best friend was telling him. "That's why you don't want to re-enlist ain't it? It don't have anythin' to do with bein' transferred, you're afraid of somethin' happenin' to you and leavin' her with three kids to raise by herself."

Rafe nodded. "We ain't at war anymore Danny, but accidents happen. We sure as hell saw our share at Mitchell."

"I can't argue with that."

"There are so many things I wish I'd done differently. Evelyn told me that it was up to me if we stayed or not and I managed to get through the war and not make her a widow. I can't take that chance now."

Danny nodded and put a hand on Rafe's shoulder. "Why didn't you just tell me this before? I wouldn't have kept pesterin' you about it."

"I don't know. I'm sorry Danny."

"Never be sorry Rafe. You're doin' what you think best for your family and that's more than a lot of guys are willin' to do."

Ten minutes later, Rafe walked through the front door and heard his wife laughing. It was coming from the bathroom, so he followed the sound of her voice and found his two children in the tub. Their mother was probably as wet as they were as she tried to finish rinsing them off. He grinned and leaned against the doorjamb to watch until his son gave him away. "Daddy!"

Evelyn turned around and saw her husband standing there and she smiled at him. "I could use some help here Captain."

He pushed himself off and offered his hand to Evelyn and he helped her to stand. She _was_ soaked. "Takin' a bath Mrs. McCawley?"

"The kids are _giving_ me a bath." And she turned to her two kids and smiled. "Aren't you?" 

They started splashing the water and Rafe looked at Evelyn. "This is how you got so wet." He stated.

"Very good observation Rafe."

He laughed at her sarcasm and grabbed a towel before he walked over to the tub and pulled his son out. Evelyn pulled Sarah out and as he sat on the edge of the tub drying Danny, she sat down on the hamper to dry off Sarah. As they took care of their kids Evelyn asked her husband about his interview. "He wasn't too happy about it I gather."

He shook his head. "He wanted me to reconsider, but I told him my mind was made up."

"When do we leave then?"

He looked at her. "My hitch is up at the end of May, but he says it'll probably be the end of June before my separation comes through." He explained as he dried Danny's damp hair.

She seemed relieved. "I should have had the baby by then."

"Does it really matter?"

She flushed. "Not really. It's silly, but since Danny and Sarah were born here I was hoping this one here would be born here too."

"It's not silly honey." And he put Danny on his feet so he could put him into his pajamas. Evelyn had gotten Sarah's nightgown on and she and Rafe took the kids to their room. She put Sarah down in her crib as Rafe tucked his son into his small bed and they kissed their children goodnight.

This was the time they liked best, watching the kids sleep. 

Rafe closed the door and put his arm around Evelyn and walked her out to the back porch. He sat down and pulled her down next to him and she curled up and leaned back against his shoulder. "This is what I'll miss most I think."

He kissed the top of her head. "Evelyn, we have a back porch in Tennessee."

"I know that, but it won't be the same."

"I know honey." He said as he felt her stiffen suddenly. _Oh god, not again. _He sat up and looked at her with concern. "Evelyn, you all right?"

She didn't say anything but she smiled as she took his hand and laid it on her rounded form. He sat stock still because he knew what she was telling him and before he knew it, he felt the baby move under his hand. "The baby just kicked." He said unnecessarily. 

She laughed. "The baby just kicked." She repeated and he leaned over to kiss her. "Everything will be fine Rafe, you'll see."

He knew she meant with the baby, but suddenly he knew that his whole life was going to be all right and he sat back with his arm around Evelyn. 

Everything was going to be just fine.


	10. Rafe Needs Some Help

Evelyn knew she'd been difficult but she couldn't seem to help it. She'd forgotten what it felt like to be seven months pregnant and feeling ungainly and unattractive. It was at times like this she wished Barbara was there to talk to. 

Rafe knew that Barbara's transfer back to the States had been hard on his wife and the farther along she got, she seemed to feel it even more keenly and wished there was something he could do. 

They were sitting together on the back porch after having put the kids to bed for the night. Rafe had his arm around Evelyn as she put her head on his shoulder and he laid his cheek on the top of her head. "You've been real quiet honey. You feelin' all right?"

She nodded. "Other than feeling as big as a house, I feel fine."

"I know I don't count, but I think you're beautiful."

Evelyn sat up and smiled at him. "Rafe, you _always_ count."

"I mean it."

"I know you do and I love you for saying it." And she kissed him. 

He kissed her back and felt her arms wind around his neck. He pulled her as close as he could before she started to laugh. He leaned back so he could look at her and tried not to smile. "Since when is my kissin' you so amusin'?" It had been awhile since he'd heard Evelyn laugh and it was a nice sound.

It took her a moment to stop laughing before she could explain. "It wasn't that. You can't hold me as close as you usually do."

Rafe grinned. "I'm holdin' the _both_ of you, don't you know that?"

She kissed his cheek. "I've been pretty difficult lately and I _am_ sorry." 

"Honey, I can't even imagine what you're goin' through and I wish there were somethin' I could do to help." 

"You're here and you love me and that does help."

"I _do_ love you Evelyn."

"I know." And she kissed him again before she settled back and put her head on his shoulder.

The next morning, without telling her what he was going to do, Rafe put in a call to the hospital where Barbara was stationed. It had occurred to him after he and Evelyn had gone to bed that he needed Barbara to come back to Hawaii for a little while. He knew it was the only thing that would help Evelyn feel better.

When Barbara got on the line she was all business until she heard the familiar voice. "How's Ev doing?"

"That's why I'm callin'. Evelyn's havin' a rough time right now and she could really use some moral support." Rafe told her.

"Rafe, what aren't you telling me? Is the baby okay?" Barbara sounded alarmed.

"The baby is fine, but this is the first time she's _had_ a baby without you here and it's been real hard on her."

There was silence on the other end until he heard her sigh. "If it were up to me, I'd ask for a transfer back."

"I know that."

She was quiet again. "I do have some leave coming. I hadn't decided what I was going to do with it but if you want me to come out, I'll be there." 

"I wouldn't ask you to do it if it weren't important, but I know Evelyn would be real happy to see you." Rafe told her.

"I'll put in for it as soon as we hang up and I'll call you back."

"Call me here at the base. I want this to be a surprise for Evelyn." 

"I'll do that." And they said goodbye and hung up.

Rafe didn't hear Danny come into the briefing room. "I was wonderin' why you'd disappeared."

He turned to face his friend. "I called Barbara to see if she could come back for awhile."

"Why call her from here? Your telephone broken?" He grinned.

He shook his head and grinned back. "Very funny Danny. I called her from here because I don't want Evelyn to know about it."

Danny nodded in understanding. "How _is_ Evelyn doin'?" 

Rafe sighed. "She's fine, but she's real touchy about everythin' and when I try to help her I usually end up makin' her cry." He sighed again. "I didn't really realize what she went through with Danny and Sarah because I was gone so much of the time and now I wonder if it was fair to put her through all of this again."

"I don't think you're the one makin' her cry Rafe. From what Sandra tells me, most women go through this and it's our job as men to be extra patient."

"It sounds simple don't it?"

"Yea. But the one thing you have to remember is that Evelyn ain't usually like this and once she has that baby, she'll be back to her old self."

Rafe ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I know that. The thing is Danny, it ain't the fact that her moods are different and that she cries so much, it's that I can't really help her."

Danny put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It seems to me that by askin' Barbara to come out here, you are doin' somethin'."

"Evelyn says that I do help her but to tell you the truth, I don't know how." Rafe admitted.

"Well then, if Evelyn says you're helpin' then you have to believe her. It may not seem like much to you, but it obviously means a lot to her." Danny countered. "I ain't busy right now so how 'bout comin' with me to get a cup of coffee?"

Rafe nodded. "All right." And on their way down the hall they ran into Red. "Hey Red could you keep an ear out for the telephone? Barbara's supposed to be callin' me back about her leave."

He frowned in confusion. "Sure Rafe."

"Thanks." And he and Danny walked to the dining hall for a cup of coffee.


	11. Evelyn Has A Visitor

Rafe hated keeping secrets from Evelyn and this was no exception. But he needed to keep this from her if his surprise was going to work. He had told her that he was going to be late and wasn't sure when he would be home. He couldn't tell his wife he was going to wait for an incoming transport that was bringing Barbara back to Hawaii for a couple of weeks. 

He stood at the gate and looked at his watch _Damn! Where was that transport? _He wondered as he looked at his watch again. His own question was answered as he saw the C-47 coming in and lining up with the runway. He watched as it touched down and came to a rolling stop. He jogged out to meet it and waited for Barbara.

When she stepped off, she stood still for a moment and smiled at Rafe. "I've really missed this place."

"And Evelyn's missed you somethin' fierce. I'm sure glad you're here."

Barbara's smile turned to a look of concern. "You are telling me everything, aren't you Rafe?"

"I swear I'm not keepin' anythin' from you. But I have been keepin' this a secret from Evelyn and it's killin' me, so let's get you to the house."

After she'd retrieved her suitcase, Rafe took it from her and they walked to his waiting car.

The house was quiet by the time Rafe pulled into the drive and got Barbara's suitcase. "Leave it there, I've got a hotel room."

"You know that Evelyn's goin' to want you to stay."

"That's why I got a room. I don't want to disrupt things around here because Evelyn finally has you home for more than a few weeks at a time." She grinned. 

They walked into the house and Rafe indicated for Barbara to be quiet. She nodded her understanding as he went looking for Evelyn. The kids had already been put to bed for the night and Evelyn was not in their room. He came back out to the living room and headed to the back porch. Evelyn was curled up, fast asleep on the sofa. He should have known that she'd be here. He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss before he brushed a lock of her hair back. She smiled as she opened her eyes. "Hey sleepy head." He said.

"Hey yourself Captain, you're late."

"I know honey and I am sorry, but I have a real good reason." He smiled at her.

"What is it then?"

Rafe turned toward the screen door and saw Barbara standing there, waiting. She came out on the porch and smiled. "He was picking me up from Hickam, that's why he was so late."

Evelyn heard a voice that sounded just like Barbara but it couldn't be, she was back in New York. It took some doing but she sat up and she couldn't believe it, Barbara was actually standing there. 

Rafe helped Evelyn to stand and once she had, her arms were around Barbara and she started to cry. Barbara did too and hugged her back. Without saying anything he walked into the house to give the friends some time to catch up. 

By the time they let go of each other, Barbara stepped back to get a look at Evelyn. "You look good Ev, you really do."

"I look terrible and you know it."

She smiled. "Honey, we should all look that good when we're that far along." And they laughed. 

Evelyn hugged her again, so glad that she was there. They sat out on the back porch for what seemed hours, Barbara telling her everything that was going on in New York and how Martha was so envious of her coming back. She told her how the hospital where they'd first been posted was now a veterans hospital and how many of the injuries were not of a physical nature, but psychological. Those were the things that Barbara had the toughest time with, but she was lucky because she had her family close by. "I've been living with my folks until I decide what I'm going to do. I didn't want to break in a whole new set of roommates."

"Why don't you and Martha get a place?"

Barbara shook her head. "I love Martha like a sister, but after sharing a house with her in New York and here I learned it was better if we didn't this time. So what about you? The last time we talked you said Rafe wasn't going to re-enlist."

"No, he decided he's had enough and he wants to go home."

"What about you? Wouldn't you rather stay here?" Barbara looked at her.

Evelyn flushed. "Rafe wants to go home and I want to be with him, so we're going back to Tennessee."

"Ev."

"Barbara, we stayed the last time because I didn't want to go and he gave up an assignment that would have kept him out of the war. Now it's my turn to give up something so he can have what _he_ wants."

"You love him that much." She grinned. 

"I know how much our life together has meant to me and that I almost lost him, _twice_. Don't you understand? He's nearly sacrificed his life and this seems such a small thing compared to that." 

"Does that husband of yours have any idea how lucky he is?"

Evelyn smiled. "No more lucky than I am." 

"How _are _you feeling Ev? You sure had Rafe worried enough to get me back here." 

"That husband of mine is full of surprises isn't he?" She said.

"Evelyn McCawley, you haven't answered my question." Barbara wouldn't be distracted.

"I'm fine and the baby is fine. The doctor's been keeping a close eye on us and he seems less and less worried the closer I get."

"That's good to hear. Martha and I have been on pins and needles since we got transferred because we couldn't keep an eye on you."

"I've had Rafe for that and I think I've been making him a little crazy with all of it. He's not used to being around for all of the changes that I went through with the other two."

"You've shown him the real you, have you?" And she laughed.

"Barbara!" Evelyn replied, but she laughed at the joke because it was so nice to have her here and whatever Rafe had had to do to _get_ Barbara here, she'd thank him for it later.

Barbara looked at her watch and stood up. "It's time for me to go Ev. It's been a long day and I need to get some sleep."

"You'll stay here of course."

"No I won't. You don't need an extra body around here gumming up the works and besides, I've already paid for a room and I'm not going to waste it."

"I wish you'd reconsider."

"Nothing doing honey. Now let's find that husband of yours so you can drive me to my hotel." And with that settled, she helped Evelyn to stand up and they went to go look for Rafe.


	12. Happy Anniversary

Evelyn woke early because of two things. It had been four years since she and Rafe had made their wedding vows to each other _and_ she thought she might finally have gone into labor. She'd had several false alarms over the last two weeks, as she had had with Sarah and began to wonder if this baby was _ever_ going to make its entrance into the world. At six a.m., however, the newest McCawley seemed to decide it was time. 

Their lives were going to change again once she had the baby, that only being one event. Rafe's enlistment was finally up and he'd told her when he'd come home the night before that his commanding officer had submitted the paperwork that would make him a civilian again. As he'd told him a few months before it would take at least a month for the final paperwork to come through and then Captain Rafe McCawley would be free to take his family home.

Evelyn sighed as she felt a contraction come. It wasn't bad, but she knew from experience that they were going to get worse and she was going to curse the day she ever met Rafe McCawley. She smiled to herself because she remembered doing that very thing when she'd had Sarah. 

She also knew, however, that it was going to be awhile before she would have to go to the hospital and she didn't want to unduly alarm the children or her husband. 

It was too late for that. Rafe already suspected what might be happening because he'd felt Evelyn tossing and turning during the last couple of hours. He knew better than to say anything to her because she'd been through it already and she knew when she'd be ready.

Barbara was back in Hawaii and this time Martha had come with her. After Evelyn had gone through a week of false labor, the girls had talked the head nurse into letting them come back on emergency leave and they'd been with her since. 

She finally gave up trying to go back to sleep and struggled to sit up. She sighed again as she sat up against the headboard and put a hand on her large form. "Hurry up will you?" She whispered and heard Rafe laugh softly.

"Honey, you know better than I do that the baby will come when it's ready and not before." He told her quietly as he sat up next to her and took her hand. "Are you feelin' all right?"

"Rafe, I think this is it." 

"Labor?"

She nodded. "This is different than the last couple of weeks."

"Could it be another false alarm?"

"It could be. I'll know for sure in the next few hours." She looked at him and smiled. "Are you ready for this?"

He grinned. "I guess I have to be. Are you?"

"I guess I have to be." She repeated and then laughed before she put her head on his shoulder. "I just want the baby to be all right."

"I know you do honey, so do I." He said and kissed her. 

It wasn't long before the kids were awake and making their usual noises. Rafe and Evelyn got up and dressed to take care of the kids and have breakfast. As they helped the children eat, Rafe looked across the table at his wife and smiled. "You do know what today is don't you?"

"Of course I do. Did you honestly think I'd forget?" She smiled back as she helped Sarah put a spoon of oatmeal in her mouth.

"I thought with everythin' that's been goin' on, you might have forgotten."

"And who forgot last year Captain?" She teased.

"I didn't forget Mrs. McCawley, I couldn't get to a telephone." He joked back. "Besides, I couldn't stop in the middle of a mission because I needed to call my wife on our anniversary, could I?"

"This coming from the man who said he'd do anything for me."

That got him to grin. "Well, almost anythin'." He amended.

The children watched their parents during the exchange. They were still too young to understand what was going on, but they knew that their parents were smiling at each other. That always made them smile. 

As was his habit, Danny knocked on the front door before letting himself in. Rafe had told him long before that he didn't need to stand on that formality in their house and to just let himself in. It was something that Danny was never comfortable with, so he compromised.

"Hey McCawley's." He said as he came in and sat down next to his godson and ruffled his hair. The boy always liked it when he did that and grinned at his godfather. "Ya'll know what today is?"

Rafe and Evelyn smiled at each other. "We know." He told his best friend.

"We're goin' to the beach for a picnic." He said with a smile. 

They'd completely forgotten about that. 

"For your anniversary." He finished before he started to laugh. "You didn't think I'd forget about that did you?"

Rafe looked at Danny. "I don't know if that's such a good idea Danny."

"Why not? We had it all planned when we found out Barbara and Martha were comin' back. What's the problem?"

Evelyn looked at Rafe for a moment before she looked at Danny. "I think I'm in labor."

He hadn't expected to hear that even though they'd told him she was due at any time. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine for the moment, but it's just a matter of time before we know anything for sure."

"Well it's up to you two, if you feel like goin' Evelyn."

She looked at her husband. "What do you think Rafe? You feel like taking your pregnant, possibly in labor, wife to the beach?"

He sighed. "If my pregnant, possibly in labor, wife wants to go how can I say no? Just let me know when it's time."

"You know I will."

So it was settled. 

It was a happy group that gathered at the beach later that day for a picnic and all eyes were on Evelyn, and she knew it. She also knew by that time that she was most definitely in labor. As they had gotten a picnic lunch together, gotten the kids ready and walked to the beach, the contractions had not let up and were getting progressively stronger. It would be awhile before she would have to go to the hospital and wanted to enjoy what might be their last trip to the beach. They probably wouldn't have time once the baby came and had to start packing up their home.

Rafe, Danny and Red had the kids down at the water's edge while the girls stayed with Evelyn. She had tried to tell them they didn't need to hover, but Barbara and Martha had been gone through most of this pregnancy and they didn't want to leave her alone now. "Why don't you girls go splash around in the water? Nothing is going to happen right at this moment and to tell you the truth, you're making me nervous." She looked at Sandra to help her out, but she was just as nervous as the other girls were.

As he played with his children near the water, Rafe kept looking up the beach to check on Evelyn. She seemed calm about the whole thing and he figured she wasn't ready yet. He sighed and looked at a concerned Danny and shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing he could do until she gave him the word.

A couple of hours later however, something changed in what Evelyn was feeling and she knew it was time to go. This McCawley suddenly wanted out and let their mother know it in no uncertain terms. They were in the middle of eating what Evelyn had packed and she felt the baby turn, as it had been throughout the early afternoon and move down. This was it and was she ever ready. After all of the waiting and worrying, she and Rafe were finally going to see their new baby. 


	13. Rafe Gives The Stork A Hand

She'd avoided it as long as she could, but after another hour Evelyn McCawley knew it was time to go. The newest McCawley was making it very clear to their mother that they wanted to be born, _now!_

It had been such a nice day, being able to share their anniversary with most of their friends and Evelyn didn't want to see it end, but the baby had other ideas. She looked at Rafe just as a contraction came and without her saying anything, he knew it was time to go.

He felt remarkably calm about the whole thing, maybe because he'd been through it already and he knew the baby wouldn't come for awhile. "You ready?" He asked her and she nodded. "I'll go get the car." He added, being fairly certain she would object and they would walk back to the house. When she nodded again without so much as an argument, Rafe suddenly realized that they did not have the luxury of time. 

That calmness that he'd been feeling evaporated and he tried not to panic. "Is everything all right honey?"

"This little one is in a bigger hurry than their brother and sister." She told him with a calmness she wasn't feeling, but with her children right there she didn't want to frighten them. 

Barbara looked at Evelyn. "Ev, are you having the baby _now_?"

She looked at her friend and nodded. "The baby's finished turning."

She glanced at the kids before she said quietly. "Evelyn McCawley you should have left for the hospital already and you know that!"

Evelyn knew it was true, but believed they'd had more time. "I know."

Rafe stood up and checked for his keys. They were in his pocket and he closed his hand over them to reassure himself that they were really there. "I'll be back as soon as I can." And he kissed Evelyn before he jogged up the beach toward the house.

As they waited for him to come back, Evelyn asked Danny and Sandra to take the kids because the contractions were increasing and she didn't want them to see her have to deal with that. "They're still too young to understand about this and I won't have time to keep them calm." She explained as she kissed each of her children.

"Sure Ev." Sandra said as Danny picked up his godson and she picked up his sister. "We'll meet you at the hospital." And they headed up the beach to Danny's car.

Barbara, Martha and Red stayed with Evelyn until they saw Rafe come back down the beach. They'd packed up the picnic lunch and had put everything in Red's car while they waited. Rafe was breathing hard from running and helped his wife up off the blanket. "How you doin' honey?"

"I'd feel a lot better if we could go now." And he put his arm around her.

"We'll meet you there Rafe." Red said as the McCawley's walked slowly up the beach. 

Rafe helped her into the car and made sure she was as comfortable as possible before he walked around to the drivers side and got in. He glanced over at her as he put the key in the ignition and started the car. She looked tired already and that worried him. "I called the hospital when I got home, so they know we're comin'." He reassured her as they headed up the road.

There was nothing he could have said at that point to help the situation. Evelyn realized that they were out of time because her water suddenly broke. "Rafe, I'm not going to make it to the hospital." She told him. "I'm having the baby now."

__

That was something he didn't want to hear. "You _can't_ be havin' it now, when was the last contraction?" 

"Fifteen minutes ago, but I've been through this twice already and Danny and Sarah let me know when they were ready. Rafe, this baby is ready." 

__

Oh my God. Rafe thought. "It's only ten more minutes, Evelyn."

"Take me home." She said.

__

Like hell he was takin' her home. "Evelyn..."

"Rafe, we're closer to home than the hospital, so take me home." She insisted.

He argued with himself over that because his wife belonged in a hospital and arguing with her would be useless. She was as stubborn as a mule and when she made up her mind, she wouldn't change it. "Evelyn, are you sure about this?"

"I don't have a say in the matter anymore. This baby is coming now and I'd rather have it at home than here."

He was going to have to deliver his own baby, the realization hit him. "Evelyn, I've never delivered a baby before."

"I'll help you as much as I can." 

Danny and Sandra had arrived at the hospital with the children and while they waited for Rafe and Evelyn, tried to keep them occupied. Danny was more than a little worried because Evelyn didn't look very good when he and Sandra had taken the children. He worried about Rafe, too because the miscarriage had been on his mind all through this pregnancy.

He looked at his watch and wondered where in the hell they were. He knew Rafe had called the hospital to tell them he was bringing Evelyn because he'd checked at the admissions desk. 

He kept glancing toward the front door, waiting. Doctors and nurses came and went, while patients were admitted and released. He looked at his watch again. _Damn!_

When he saw Barbara, Martha and Red come through the door he knew something was really wrong. "Where in the hell are they?" He asked as his godson sat on his lap.

Barbara looked at him and frowned. "They're not here?"

Sandra had Sarah on her lap and shook her head. "We've been here waiting for them the whole time."

Where could they be?

"I can see the head!" Rafe couldn't believe it.

Evelyn couldn't talk as the baby's head crowned and it took all she had not to cry out. This was always the hardest part and she didn't want to scare her husband any more than he already was. 

When that was done, she knew it would only be a moment before their baby was born and she could relax.

"Evelyn, what do I do now?" He asked.

"One shoulder has to come out first, then the other."

He followed her instruction and the next thing he knew his son was in his hands screaming his little lungs out. He looked at his wife and she was lying quietly, with a smile on her face. "With lungs like that, I think he's goin' to be a drill sergeant." He joked. "It's a boy." He told her as an unnecessary afterthought. 

"How is he Rafe?"

"He looks fine honey. He's got ten fingers and ten toes and we know he's got a strong pair of lungs." He said as he cleaned up the baby as best he could, cut the cord and handed the newest McCawley to his mother. "You did a nice job Mrs. McCawley." And he leaned over and kissed her. 

The baby had fallen asleep and Evelyn closed her eyes. "You didn't do such a bad job yourself Captain." She smiled and he kissed her again.

"Rafe, Evelyn are you here?" He heard Barbara's panicked voice. 

Rafe walked into the living room with a smile on his face, drying his hands after having washed up in the bathroom. "It's a boy." He told her. "And they're both fine."

Barbara hugged him and laughed. "That's great news! There's an ambulance coming to take Evelyn to the hospital."

"That's good because this doctorin' stuff ain't for me." He grinned. "You want to see them?"

"Of course I do, what a question!" She said as he walked her back to see Evelyn and she looked exhausted. She noticed that Evelyn was pushing again and knew she hadn't finished. Rafe noticed it too and sighed, "Twins?"

Barbara shook her head and handed the baby to Rafe. "Go finish cleaning him up and let me take care of Evelyn."

"Is she all right?"

"I'm fine Rafe. It's just all a part of having a baby." She reassured him. "Go take care of our son."

He took the baby into their bathroom and Barbara closed the door behind him. He tried to listen to what was happening, but all he heard were the muffled voices of his wife and her friend so he turned his attention to his new son. Rafe looked at him and shook his head. He'd help bring this life into the world and nothing that he would ever do for the rest of _his_ life would ever be better than that.


	14. The McCawley's Go To A Weddin'

It had been a beautiful day and Evelyn's first out since the birth of their son, Joseph Michael McCawley. 

Rafe didn't even try to hide a grin when he'd seen how his wife looked in the dress Sandra had asked her to wear as her matron of honor. Evelyn had gotten her figure back and was more beautiful than ever. 

Evelyn wished she'd gotten her figure back before the wedding, but the dress Sandra wanted her to wear hid that fact and in the end it didn't really matter how _she_ looked. Sandra was a vision and Danny was so serious in his dress uniform. 

Even though it was their friend's wedding day, it was just as special for Rafe and Evelyn because they had been asked by the bride and the groom that Danny and Sarah be their ring bearer and flower girl. Evelyn thought they were a little young, but it was important to Danny and to Sandra that all the McCawley's be a part of their wedding day. 

They walked their children up the aisle as Danny tried not to drop the rings and Sarah grabbed the rose petals in her chubby hands from the small basket and tossed them in front of her. 

When the four McCawley's got to the front of the chapel, their parents sat the youngest members of the wedding party next to Rafe's parents, who had arrived the night before at Danny's request. They had been the closest things he'd had to parents after his daddy died and he couldn't imagine getting married without them there. 

Rafe and Evelyn stood up with their friends as they repeated the same vows _they_ had four years before and Rafe couldn't keep a grin off of his face as he watched his best friend finally get married. 

By the end of the day, Danny and Sandra were gone and everyone who had come back for the wedding had returned to their hotels. That left Rafe, Evelyn and his parents with three sleeping children on the front porch of their house. 

The baby had slept through most of the day. It amazed Evelyn that he had because he'd shown his parents how strong his lungs really were over the last month. It was hard for the older children to understand why the baby cried so much and as much as Evelyn tried to explain it, they _were_ only three and two.

Rafe had his sleeping son in one arm and his other arm around Danny, while Sarah had fallen asleep in her mother's lap. Rafe's parents were having their evening cup of coffee. "I don't know how you can do it son."

"Do what Daddy?" 

"Leave this place. The moment your mother and I got off the ship, we agreed that this is what heaven must look like."

"I can't argue with that sir, but I really want to come home now." Rafe told him.

Thomas could see how much it meant for his son to come home, so he didn't say another word. "Speakin' of comin' home, when can your mother and I expect all of you?"

"My separation papers should be comin' through this next week, so another couple of weeks I would think."

"Your rooms will be ready for you whenever you do come back." Sarah was so pleased her wandering gypsy of a son was finally coming home and he was bringing a family with him. She looked at Thomas and smiled. "Tom, I'm ready to go back to the hotel now. "

He smiled back at her and took a last sip of his coffee and put the cup down on the side table. "Let's go then Sarah."

They stood up and Thomas leaned over and gave his daughter-in-law a kiss on the cheek. "It was nice to see you again daughter."

"It was nice to see you again too Dad." And he kissed his sleeping granddaughter.

"In all the excitement, I never had the chance to see how you were doing." Sarah told Evelyn. "All Rafe would tell us was that the baby came faster than you had expected."

Evelyn laughed. "He was in an awful hurry to get here that's for sure."

Sarah looked at her son. "And you really delivered him yourself?" She was amazed.

He grinned. "Yes ma'am."

Thomas laughed and looked at his wife. "You always did say when that boy of ours put his mind to somethin' he could do it."

"I didn't have delivering our grandchild in mind when I said that Thomas McCawley." She shook her head.

He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "Come along mother. Let's leave them alone now." He took her arm and they walked to the car Danny had left with them while they were in Hawaii. He wasn't going to have much use for it he told them and they might as well use it to get around. 

Once his parents were gone, Rafe and Evelyn looked at each other and smiled. "You were beautiful today, Mrs. McCawley."

She smiled back. "You didn't look too bad yourself today either Captain."

He looked down at his dress uniform. "This is the last time I'll wear it."

She thought she heard a sound of regret in his voice. "Rafe, are you sure about this?"

"It's out of my hands now honey."

"That's not what I asked and you know it." She sighed.

"Evelyn, it's time to go home." And he got up as carefully as he could so he wouldn't wake his sons. Joseph was still asleep in the crook of his arm and as he got up, Danny curled up on the swing. "I'll put the baby down."

"All right Rafe." She kissed Sarah and laid her cheek on her daughter's head as Rafe took the baby into the house. _Were they doing the right thing? _Not for the first time did she wonder if it was fair to the kids to take them away from the only home they knew. Rafe did a lot of talking about wanting to go back to Tennessee but was it for him, or for her and the children? She had done a bit of talking herself too, saying that the children would adjust. But could she? They were going from having a home of their own to living with Rafe's parents. How was _that_ going to work? She sighed again, the only way she would know that is after they got back there.

When he came back out to the front porch, he'd taken his jacket off, loosened his tie and his sleeves were rolled up. She took one look at that and laughed. "You had to change the baby didn't you?"

He grinned. "Yea." And he picked Danny up from the swing and helped Evelyn to stand. "Let's get these kids to bed."

They walked into the house and Rafe took her hand for a moment. "We're doin' the right thing honey."

She smiled at him before she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "If this is what you really want, then it's the right thing."

They didn't say anything else as they got the kids into their pajamas and put them down for the night. When they got to their room, the baby was sound asleep and Evelyn hoped he would sleep through the night. They had been taking turns getting up with him so Evelyn wouldn't be so tired. She really did count her blessings on that score because it was something a lot of husbands wouldn't do. 

Rafe was standing over the bassinet that held his sleeping son. He still couldn't get over the fact that he's been born in this very room and that he'd helped Evelyn accomplish that feat. 

She came up behind him and put her arms around his waist. "What are you thinking about Rafe?"

He took her hands in his. "I'm just thinkin' how lucky I am to have you and the kids and that I helped to bring our son into the world." And he kissed the hand that had his engagement and wedding ring on it. 

"I love you Rafe." Was all she said and it was all he needed to hear as he turned around and put his arms around her.

He was serious as he asked her, "Did the doctor tell you when it would be all right for us to...". Rafe's voice trailed off, but Evelyn knew what he meant. 

"We really should wait another couple of weeks." She said sensibly.

He sighed. "Would I be a terrible husband if I told you I can't wait a couple of weeks? I've missed you Evelyn."

"You wouldn't be a terrible husband because I've missed you too." She also sighed and tightened her hold around his waist. "Now would be the time though."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled. "Are you changing your mind?"

He grinned at her. "Of course not. I just want this to be all right with you."

Evelyn leaned against him and kissed him. "It's perfectly all right with me." She assured him and Rafe's grin got wider as he kissed his wife back. 


	15. The McCawley's Go Home

It had all happened so fast.

Once Rafe had received his separation papers, all of their worldly possessions were packed up and they were ready to go. 

Danny had come to the house to pick them up and drive them to the pier where a ship was waiting to steam it's way to San Francisco. Rafe had considered taking a transport, but he and Evelyn had decided it would be nice to see a bit of the country by train as they traveled back to Tennessee. The kids were too young to appreciate it, they knew, but it might be their only chance. 

Before they'd left though, Rafe got into his dress uniform one last time and with Evelyn and the children, had a formal family portrait taken. It was something Evelyn had wanted to do before they left because their family was finally complete and they were leaving.

To her, no matter how long they lived in Tennessee this place would always be home. 

They stood with Danny and Sandra at the foot of the gangplank, finding it more difficult than either could imagine to say goodbye. Evelyn was thankful that the children were still too young to understand what was happening because she was trying so hard not to cry. If it had been hard to say goodbye to Barbara and Martha, this was doubly so because at least she and Rafe were staying. Now it was her turn to leave and she didn't know how she was going to do it.

Danny was holding his godson and Sandra was holding Sarah. Joseph was sleeping in his mother's arms, blissfully unaware of the turmoil of his parent's departure.

"Ya'll come back when you can." Danny said to them. "I want to see these kids of yours growin' up."

"We'll do our best Danny, you know that." Rafe replied as he cleared his throat, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him. "We _will_ send you pictures, though." 

"We're counting on it." Sandra told him as she kissed Sarah's cheek. "We've been so used to seeing these kids every day, it'll be hard _not_ to see them."

A purser had come down to collect Rafe and Evelyn's suitcases and Rafe gave him their cabin number. He went back up the gangplank and Rafe knew it was time to go. Sandra put Sarah on her feet before she started to cry. Danny put his godson on his feet and as the children stood next to their parents Danny put his arms around Sandra. 

Rafe and Evelyn looked at each other and sighed. This day had to come and they both wished it were over.

When Sandra had collected herself, Danny let her go and took Rafe's hand. "It ain't goin' to be the same without you."

"Same here. I just wish Red could've come with you." 

"He was sorry as hell to not be here, but he couldn't change his schedule."

Rafe grinned. "The Air Corps has him trainin' already?"

"Yea. He's goin' to be real good at it Rafe."

"I have no doubt about that." He said as he let go of Danny's hand to grab him into a hug. He clapped him on the back and cleared his throat again. "You've always been more than my best friend Danny, you've been my brother and I'll miss you like hell."

Danny hung on to him and clapped his friend on the back as well. "I've always had you to cover my back, even when I didn't need you to." He let go of Rafe so he could look him in the eye. "It was so hard to watch you go to England and I was as lonely as a guy could be for his brother, but this is worse."

Rafe cleared his throat one last time, but couldn't stop a tear rolling down from the corner of his eye. "I'll call you as soon as we get back to Tennessee."

"You do that. And send us some postcards along the way will you? That way we can see where you're stoppin'."

"Will do Danny." Rafe picked up his son in one arm and his daughter in the other and they put an arm around his neck. Sandra hugged Evelyn as best she could, as did Danny. A tear had rolled down from the corner of his eye and wiped it away with an impatient swipe as his best friend and his family walked up the gangplank.

It seemed an eternity as they stood at the rail while the gangplank was lowered and the tug boat gently nudged the ship away from the pier. They waved until their arms cramped because Danny and Sandra stood waving back. The ship moved through the harbor toward the Pacific and Rafe and Evelyn stayed at the rail until they could no longer see their friends. They stayed as the island got smaller and smaller until they could no longer see it. They were on their way. 

Evelyn was numb. They'd really gone through with it and now a whole new life lay ahead in Tennessee. 

Rafe watched his wife as she stared out at the Pacific because he knew this was not what she really wanted. He never told her about the conversation he'd overheard between her and Barbara. This was something she wanted to do for him because of the sacrifices he'd made. _She_ was the one who'd made the sacrifices. 

They made their way to the cabin they would stay in for the short trip and Evelyn put the baby down in the small crib. He had been an angel, sleeping the whole day and for that Evelyn was thankful. It was still early, but the excitement of everything had taken a toll on the children and they had fallen asleep. 

They had asked that a nanny come and stay with the children while they went for a walk. 

When she'd arrived, Rafe took Evelyn's hand and they made their way back up to the deck. They strolled around the ship and he commented that this one was nicer than the one that had taken him to England. Evelyn was quiet and Rafe kept talking. The only other time she'd been this quiet was after the miscarriage when she'd been inconsolable. He knew it would take time, but had no doubt she would adjust.

He let go of her hand and put his arm around her. He kissed the top of her head before he laid his cheek on her head. "I love you Evelyn."

She put an arm around him and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I love you too Rafe."

They continued to walk and then she started to cry and the cries turned into sobs. He found a spot where he pulled her in and put his arms around her to give her some privacy. He sighed as she released all the sadness she was feeling and could feel her shaking. He didn't try to reassure her or calm her down because he understood how she felt. He let her cry and held her as she eventually quieted and the shaking subsided. She didn't apologize as she ordinarily would when her emotions got the better of her and Rafe didn't expect her to. She wiped the tears from her eyes and Rafe kissed her before they continued their walk.

They lay in bed that night, Rafe's arms around Evelyn. "Thank you honey."

She propped herself up on an elbow to look at him. "For what?"

He wasn't going to tell her, but he figured that maybe now he should. "I overheard you talkin' to Barbara the night she came back for her visit and I know this is not what you really wanted. But the fact that you were willin' to do this for me is somethin' I'll never be able to repay."

She didn't know what to say, so kissed him instead. 

"I'll do my best to make you happy there."

"Rafe McCawley, you make me happy no matter where we are, as long as we're together." And she lay back down in his arms and they fell asleep. 

They _were_ together and had their children and Evelyn couldn't ask for more than that.

THE END.

Have no fear, this is not my last story. But I have another in the Historical section that I am going to concentrate on for awhile until I get another inspiration. _Any suggestions??_


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